Method and device for reducing leakage losses in a turbine
AssigneeTurboden S.P.A.
InventorsMario Gaia, Roberto Bini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for reducing the leakage of an organic working fluid operating within a turbine (10) of an Organic Rankine Cycle system, the method comprising the injection of a fluid flow rate (Q) into a volume (I) at a static pressure lower than the total pressure (P1) upstream of the turbine and located near of at least one labyrinth seal (L1, L11) of at least one stage of the turbine (10), said fluid flow rate (Q) having an initial exergetic content lower than the initial exergetic content of the organic working fluid located inside the turbine and flowing through said labyrinth seal (L1, L11).
Claims22
A method for reducing the leakage of an organic working fluid operating within a turbine (10) of an Organic Rankine Cycle system, the method comprising the injection of a fluid flow rate (Q) into a volume (I) through at least one conduit (21, 22) passing through the housing (20) of the turbine, at a static outlet pressure (PI1), lower than a total pressure (P1) upstream of a turbine stage wherein the injection takes place and located near of at least one labyrinth seal (L1, L11) of at least one stage of the turbine (10), and wherein said fluid flow rate (Q) having an initial exergetic content lower than an initial exergetic content of the organic working fluid located inside the turbine, said fluid flow rate (Q) is flowing through said labyrinth seal (L1, L11) to oppose a leak of pressure;
- and wherein said volume (I) in which the injection of the fluid flow rate (Q) takes place, is accommodated at one stage of the turbine (10) different from the first stage and is at a lower static pressure with respect to the total pressure upstream of the corresponding turbine stage in which the injection takes place;
- and wherein said injection of the fluid flow rate (Q) is taking place through a conduit (21, 22) passing within body (20) of the turbine;
- and wherein in case the pressure of the fluid flow rate (Q) is higher than the total pressure (PI1), there will be a flow also through labyrinth seal (L11), directed towards the turbine's blades;
- and wherein in case the pressure of the fluid flow rate (Q) is lower than the total pressure (PI1), there will be a flow also through labyrinth seal (L11), directed towards a condenser (3);
- and wherein in case the pressure of the fluid flow rate (Q) is equal to the total pressure (PI1), there will be no flow also through labyrinth seal (L11), opposing a leak of pressure.
An expansion turbine (10) comprising:
- a housing (20) steadily connected with at least a first stator stage (S1);
- at least one disk (30) steadily connected with at least a first rotor stage (R1);
- at least one labyrinth seal (L1, L11) located downstream of said at least one first stator stage;
- and further comprising at least one conduit (21, 22) passing through the housing (20) of the turbine, that fluid connects the exterior of the turbine with the inner volume (I) of the turbine and that is configured to inject a flow rate (Q) of a fluid in correspondence to said at least one labyrinth seal (L1, L11), said fluid flow rate (Q) having an initial exergetic content lower than an initial exergetic content of the organic working fluid located inside the turbine and flowing through said labyrinth seal (L1, L11), said fluid flow rate (Q) having a static pressure lower than the total pressure (P1) upstream of a turbine stage where the injection takes place and has an initial exergetic content lower than the initial exergetic content of the organic working fluid located inside the turbine and flowing through said labyrinth seal (L1, L11) to oppose a leak of pressure;
- and wherein said volume (I) in which the injection of the fluid flow rate (Q) takes place, is accommodated at one stage of the turbine (10) different from the first stage and is at a lower static pressure with respect to the total pressure upstream of the corresponding turbine stage in which the injection takes place;
- and wherein said injection of the fluid flow rate (Q) is taking place through a conduit (21, 22) passing within body (20) of the turbine;
- and wherein in case the pressure of the fluid flow rate (Q) is higher than the total pressure (PI1), there will be a flow also through labyrinth seal (L11), directed towards the turbine's blades;
- and wherein in case the pressure of the fluid flow rate (Q) is lower than the total pressure (PI1), there will be a flow also through labyrinth seal (L11), directed towards a condenser (3);
- and wherein in case the pressure of the fluid flow rate (Q) is equal to the total pressure (PI1), there will be no flow also through labyrinth seal (L11), opposing a leak of pressure.
An Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system, comprising:
- a recuperator (2) configured to transfer heat from an organic working fluid in a vapor phase to the same organic working fluid in a liquid phase;
- and for recovering heat downstream of a turbine and upstream of a condenser (3);
- a condenser (3) downstream of the recuperator (2) configured to transfer heat from the organic working fluid in a vapor phase to a cold source (SF), returning the organic fluid in a liquid state;
- pump (4) downstream of the condenser (3) configured to feed the organic working fluid in a liquid phase to a heat exchanger (5) at a predetermined pressure (PI);
- heat exchanger (5), configured for heating, vaporizing and even overheating the organic working fluid by means of a hot source (SC);
- said exchanger (5) exchanges heat between organic fluid in liquid phase which is pumped by the pump (4);
- and exchanges organic fluid in a vapor phase from the turbine 10 is toward the condenser (3);
- said heat exchanger (5) further comprising a pre-heater, an evaporator and a super-heater;
- an expansion turbine (10) configured to expand the organic working fluid in a vapor phase from a pressure (PI) to a lower pressure (Pcond);
- and wherein said volume (I) in which the injection of the fluid flow rate (Q) takes place, is accommodated at one stage of the turbine (10) different from the first stage and is at a lower static pressure with respect to the total pressure upstream of the corresponding turbine stage in which the injection takes place;
- and wherein said injection of the fluid flow rate (Q) is taking place through a conduit (21, 22) passing within body (20) of the turbine;
- and wherein in case the pressure of the fluid flow rate (Q) is higher than the total pressure (PI1), there will be a flow also through labyrinth seal (L11), directed towards the turbine's blades;
- and wherein in case the pressure of the fluid flow rate (Q) is lower than the total pressure (PI1), there will be a flow also through labyrinth seal (L11), directed towards a condenser (3);
- and wherein in case the pressure of the fluid flow rate (Q) is equal to the total pressure (PI1), there will be no flow also through labyrinth seal (L11), opposing a leak of pressure;
- and wherein said turbine (10) comprises:
- a housing (20) steadily connected with at least a first stator stage (S1);
- at least one disk (30) steadily connected with at least a first rotor stage (R1);
- at least one labyrinth seal (L1, L11) located downstream of said at least one first stator stage;
- and further comprising at least one conduit (21, 22) that fluid connects the exterior of the turbine with the inner volume (I) of the turbine and that is configured to inject a flow rate (Q) of a fluid in correspondence to said at least one labyrinth seal (L1, L11), said fluid flow rate (Q) having an initial exergetic content lower than the initial exergetic content of the organic working fluid located inside the turbine and flowing through said labyrinth seal (L1, L11).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.